James' reaction as he unboxes a rare, limited edition Labubu toy can only be described as pure, unadulterated joy.

The YouTuber delightedly holds up a brown plush monster, which has been described by collectors as "cute", "ugly", "creepy" and everything in between.

Labubus are furry snaggletoothed gremlins, which are designed by Hong Kong-born artist Kasing Lung and sold by Chinese toy company Pop Mart.

They're almost always sold out online and long queues often form outside the selected shops that stock them.

Labubus are also primarily sold in the blind box format, meaning customers never know what version they'll get until they open them - a fact collectors have said adds to their appeal.

While it's difficult to pin their recent rise in popularity to one particular ingredient, celebrity endorsement, social media unboxing videos and their ability to stir up nostalgia are all contributing factors.

James Welsh, from Hampshire, sees his Labubu collectable as an investment, which he tells the BBC "could probably earn a fair bit of money two or three years down the line".

He has just shy of 30 Labubus which retail at around £25 for an individual toy or £153 for a box of six.

He says he has "spent hundreds and hundreds but not quite thousands" on the dolls.

Labubu maker Pop Mart has doubled its profits in the last year and is eying up global expansion in 2025.

The company, which started 15 years ago, has been described as "elevating toy buying to an act of trendy connoisseurship" and praised for embracing........

© BBC